


Sprat! (For a Mackerel)

by iwatobiaquarium (daleked)



Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-23
Updated: 2014-09-23
Packaged: 2018-02-18 09:44:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2343956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daleked/pseuds/iwatobiaquarium
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Once, twice, three times a mackerel. (Or, mackerel as a vehicle for things in Haru's life.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sprat! (For a Mackerel)

**Author's Note:**

> Everything in this is a reference to something else. The title is from an idiom. The cat is borrowed from a well-known Japanese novel, and the entire fic stemmed from the second chapter. That is, a brief [conversation](https://twitter.com/furii22/status/513956222446620673) which was shortly followed by [this picture](https://twitter.com/furii22/status/513965018610937856). I believe Ice Age 3 speaks for itself.

Cats are common in Iwatobi. Kittens tumble over each other in the sparse grasses near the beach, and there is almost always a new litter somewhere in town. Haru, for most part, feeds them when he can but doesn't go out of his way to shelter them. They're cats after all, he thinks, watching them nibble at the bones of the fish he'd set out for them. Cats don't stay.

That is, until Makoto turns up at his place with a week-old kitten with milky blue eyes and a piercing meow that is practically impossible to ignore.

'You can't just leave him,' Makoto explains tearfully, and that is how Haru ends up the single parent of a noisy kitten that drags itself along the floor, belly swollen with kitten formula. Its tiny claws dig into the tatami and Rin is completely enamoured of it, cradling him in his hands. (Haru still isn't sure the kitten is a him.)

Rin nuzzles the squalling creature. 'What's his name?'

'It doesn't have one.' Haru tells him, rolling the rubber teat onto the mouth of the bottle. 'It'll only be here for a while.'

Rin lies down on the floor and lifts the kitten above his face. It waves its paws about and meows obnoxiously.

'It's okay,' Rin tells the kitten. 'Haru only likes two things in this world. Swimming, and mackerel.' Haru passes Rin the bottle and Rin sits up, putting the kitten on the table. He cradles it gently with his hand, thumb and forefinger wrapping just below its head. The kitten sucks noisily at the bottle, paws scrabbling at Rin's hand lazily. Rin laughs.

'Do you think you'll like him better if we name him after something you like?' Haru frowns.

The kitten blinks.

'Mackerel,' Rin decides. 'You can call him Mackerel.' 

(When the team hears of this, Rei pushes up his glasses and mutters about the appeal of an antiestablishmentarianism author and the far reach of his influence, mostly putting it down to his simplistic style of writing and the popularity of his translated works overseas. Nagisa spends the next fifteen minutes quizzing Rei about the author. Makoto smiles, relieved, and asks Haru to let him know when he can get his kitten-feeding kit back.)

Haru absolutely does not think of Rin as Mackerel grows bigger and fatter, sunning himself out on the veranda with a satisfied air.

'I don't even like you,' Haru tells Mackerel. It's a lie, and they both know it.

 

+

 

Haru is rarely pleased by things that are not mackerel (the fish, not the cat) and large bodies of water, but he _is_ pleased with what he'd managed to snap up on this shopping trip.

'Look,' he says, and Rin turns over in bed. He takes in the shirt and laughs.

'Do you know what it says, Haru?' Rin asks, tucking a pillow beneath his chin to prop himself up.

Haru tugs at the hem. He knows it has a picture of a mackerel fish on it, but the words escape him for a moment. He considers Rin's question, and looks back down at the shirt.

' _Ho-ly mackerel_ ,' he says in English, and Rin tries his best to stifle his giggle.

Haru comes towards the bed and clambers on top of it so that the picture of the fish is right in Rin's face.

 

+

 

It's Nagisa's turn to pick something for movie night, and he picks Ice Age 3. No one is surprised, and Makoto ducks his head and smiles when Nagisa asks him if he's seen it before.

'Thrice,' Makoto admits, but he consents to seeing it again anyway.

Later that night, Rin is helping Haru clear up when Haru touches his shoulder.

'Remember when Ellie was going to give birth and she had to tell Manny?' Haru asks. Rin nods. Haru looks completely serious standing there in his pajama pants, holding two empty popcorn bowls and an empty can of coke. The night is still, only broken by the occasional yowl from a stray cat.

Rin scratches his head. 'Yes, she was using their code word. Peach!'

Haru puts down the bowls and coke cans solemnly, and takes Rin's hand. His fingers curl around the dip between Rin's thumb and forefinger, where Mackerel's neck had fit only some time before. Now, Mackerel the kitten is Mackerel the cat, and Rin no longer needs to hold him during mealtimes.

'Mackerel,' Haru says shortly. His eyes shine under the yellow light of the living room lamp.

Rin laughs nervously, cheeks heating up. 'What's that code for, Haru?'

'I love you.' Rin turns red and Haru doesn't let go of his hand. 'I love you,' Haru repeats, louder this time, and Rin brings his other hand up to cover Haru's mouth.

'Mackerel,' Rin mutters, embarrassed. 'Of all things... But it wouldn't be you if it wasn't this.' Haru has no idea what Rin is talking about, but keeps quiet while Rin gathers his thoughts.

They stay like this for a beat, and eventually Rin gives in. 'Whitebait,' he says, lowering his hand and leaving Haru's mouth free. He can't look Haru in the eye.

Haru's eyes gleam. 'And what does _that_ mean?' Rin is only dimly aware that they are still holding hands, and he feels another fierce blush coming on. 

'It means I love you too, stupid,' Rin blurts out, and pulls Haru in for a kiss to hide his shame. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I am similarly found on [twitter](http://twitter.com/tobiochans).


End file.
